The IFP calls on the new Minister of Human Settlements, Hon Connie September, to make the current sanitation backlog in this country a priority and to commit herself to eradicating what remains a shameful legacy within her department.
IFP Spokesperson on Human Settlements, Mr Petros Sithole, MP, said "Residents in the Gomagoma area, under Nkonkobe Local Municipality, Eastern Cape are still using a bucket toilet system. This is primarily due to unnecessary delays caused by general incompetence within the Municipality. In addition, there are still some areas where people are without access to piped-water and electricity. These challenges must be resolved urgently".
Sithole further stated that, "Sanitation issues such as backlogs in Gomagoma are meant to be addressed and alleviated by the Rural Households Infrastructure Grant(RHIG). However, since its inception in 2009, it has suffered from chronic under-spending which has forced thousands of people in rural areas to continue living without access to basic sanitation".
The IFP will immediately address correspondence to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) to request an urgent investigation into these conditions, which violate the residents' Constitutional right to water and dignity. Correspondence will also be forwarded to the Minister of Human Settlements requesting an urgent meeting with a view to conducting an oversight visit to Gomagoma and areas such as Mamelodi in Gauteng, in order for the Minister to witness first hand the desperate conditions under which these people are currently living.
No comments:
Post a Comment